The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-26
TH,TORY or A GAMBLER.
Erraticreer OF Man With an IRE
sistibie Passion.

sistibie Passion.
A lettrom Long Branch, n. j., to the
Phiadela Times says. The change in the
ten,pelae has not eliminated the crowds
who stiliger here Every evening the
New Yoboat brings back again the same
faces tlstrayed jewellers of Wall street,
who fine the music, the races, the hops,
the rotlle wheel and in the green baize
tables ohil and John Daily a rekipdling of
the fresiich have run low during the dog
DAYS alothe Barbary coast of Wall street
Thousalrtake in the feverish excitements
of Lone]ranch a qiasi-rest-a training
school fChe next day, when they show up
in good III at 10 a. m. in New York,
ready f,the great game in Wall street,
where pile sell short or besiege Russell
Sages OF for puts and calls.
vGRY OF THE BLIND GODDESS.
On tlieuth side of the West End piazza
the otheIght sat John Pondir, still New
York brer. with a comfortable balance in
bank. has tried all the games from
poker aneven-up down to keno, and, last
of all, er,age, and is not much the worse
for wearr his participation in some of the
greatest mes of chance ever played on the
Americaiontinent. The clover blossom in
Pondir's lttonhole looked dropping and
faint withe heat of the day, and the still
alert andlive New York broker tossed
aside cie he had smoked to the bitter
end and saled in a reminiscent mood.
| asked 'sDo you remember Ed Hill
son, wi broker of Chestnut street,
We both It thirty years ago at Joe Halls
game, in klnut street, Philadelphia
''Indeed do" replied Pondir, land
thereby hes tale. No man ever lived
who was fcier of all games of chance than
poor Hillso the wool broker. He lived in
Philadelphia for forty years and was, |
think, frotrAlsace or Lorraine, for he was
certainly hs Frenchman.
A GABLER WITHOUT NERVE.
''Hillson ,ver had the Napoleonic cour-
age or nele needed to make a great
gambler, buwith him it was the fatal pas
sion for card
'Men likeThomas A. Scott, all nerve,
with a will lie Bessemer steel, make gam
blers when tey do play of whom the pro-
fessional CANISTER is always terror. And
I have heard told by prominent Phila-
delphian thai about the time the Girard
House was bilt there was big game of
faro going OF there and Mr.. Scott sauntered
in saying be lidn'tmind winning or losing
$40, 900. He bst that amount in three hours
lost pass to San Francisco.
with sudl mel gambling is an accident
1t never beDmesthe one absorbing passion
of life Woe to he man who becomes this
passions slave. With Hillson it was the one
grand passion, and faro was his favorite
play, game always full of fascination to
men of high Intellectual endowments. Hill
son seemed to begrudge the hours spent in
the ordinary avTations of business, albeit
he was recognized as the best wool buyer on
the street.
He had aplonb; was possessed of keen
intellect and wonderful fund of informa-
ton, but he could never resist the sight of a
pack of cards.
anybody knew He paid his bill promptly,
and his accounts were always closed cor
rectly with the houses for whom he worked
on commission.
HE was satisfied with small winnings,
but it is the continual dropping which wears
away the granite shaft.
LUCK AT MONTE CARLO.
I'm 1870 he found himself So, ZOO behind.
Hillson disappeared from Philadelphia for
one year. Nobody made any search for him,
as there seemed to be general impression
that the little Alsatian- Frenchnan would
come out cat-bird' las they say out Vest.
And he did. In almost a year to day from
his disappearance Hillson appeared, full of
chic, bright, breezy, well-dressed and with
a heavy bank balance to his credit. He paid
all his outstanding bills and no questions
were asked. His story to his intimates was
that he had but $500 when he reached Paris
and he could not resist the temptation to
take run over to Monte Carlo. He first
purchased return ticket to America, avow-
ing that he was not afraid to face his cred
tors, but only waited for his luck to turn.
Hillson said he had $500 cash left He put
some 1907. on the red. 1t won. He put the
1907, between the 0 and the 90,
which pays II for |. He won. He picked
out the number 10 because it was called an
lnlucky number and put 50f. ON that num-
ber He won. He was now a high roller i'll
luck and in one hour was possessor of 100000.
tie returned in the next steamer to America
and liquidGted all outstanding accounts.
THE GAMBLERS TRAGIC END.
IN 1884 Hillsons luck turned. His COM
missions as q wool-buyer did not furnish
forth the wherewith to crafty his elegant
desires He had sailed with more swelling
port than his faint means did grant con-
Linuance
He had friends" continued John Pondir,
who would have loaned him 5000. He
was too proud to tell why he was poor.
hillson became tired of the struggle, and
one June day he left Philadelphia for Mag
ara Falls. Nobody knew where he had
gone. As soon as the train reached Niagara
he gave hackman So and simply said;
Drive to the Falls
Once there he laid off his coat and
ended it by one wild leap into the angry,
leath-dealihg current of the river His
body was never found. The Mortified hack
man found a bill of sale for bis furniture,
covering the rent then due his landlord on
Chestnut street, and note asking the same
person to give colored boy he had around
Dis office his last s. enclosed. The last page
ot his letter read thus
l have called the turn. / missed the
EAU. Tell the boys I'm in hard luck, and
they will not blame me if leave the ills
nave and fly to others that know not of
1t is best So"
=, John Pondir rose up sadly; lit a. fresh
agar and said: Young man, as l told
you before nevnr oornbIan